Nature and Biodiversity

Almost 90% of the world's animal species will lose some habitat to agriculture by 2050

The Amazon rain forest (R), bordered by deforested land prepared for the planting of soybeans, is pictured in this aerial photo taken over Mato Grosso state in western Brazil, October 4, 2015. Brazil will produce a record 97.8 million tonnes of soybeans in 2015/16, a 3.2 percent rise compared to 2014/15, but much of this additional volume will be stored in the country, with little impact on export volumes, estimated on Monday the Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries (ABIOVE). Picture taken October 4, 2015. REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - GF10000233479

Climate change, deforestation and pollution are all causing the destruction of habitiat. Image: REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker

David Williams
Lecturer in Sustainability and the Environment, University of Leeds
Michael Clark
Postdoctoral Researcher, Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food, University of Oxford
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Projected changes in total habitat (mean habitat loss in a cell multiplied by the number of species present) caused by agriculture expansion by 2050. Note the concentrations in East and West Africa.
African wildlife is predicted to be most affected by increasing agriculture. Image: Williams & Clark et al 2020
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Related topics:
Nature and BiodiversityAgriculture, Food and BeverageFuture of the EnvironmentFood Security
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